Can you develope schizophrenia? And can you develope it due to anxiety or untreated anxiety? I'm so so scared that I'm schizophrenic or that I'm going to become schizophrenic. Are there "early stages" that can be confused with anxiety or what? I mean I'm really afraid I'm going to snap or I'm going to blink and BAM the worlds going to be distorted forever and I'll never be the same! Please someone help I'm so scared! Also can any anti-anxiety or antidepressant meds induce schizophrenia? I don't want to look it up myself cause more than likely I'll scare myself!

Hey there and I would have to say to the best of my knowledge no. It seems to be a a common obsession among people with OCD (an anxiety disorder) that they can "get Schizophrenia".

Schizophrenics can suffer with anxiety as a secondary emotion, thats all.

Anxiety can cause nothing but more anxiety, and it can feel like you are losing your mind, it can cause depersonalization and derealization whcih feels like you are a nutter but its just from the excess adrenaline and its a coping mechanism for the brain from too much stimuli.

Shizophrenia is being detached from reality and being unaware of things. Anxiety disorders are being to connected to reality and excessively aware. They are polar opposites.

There are no other illnesses related to schizophrenia, there are just degrees of severity and different types.

Thank you sooo much kitt! That was probably the most reassurance I've had about anything since I started to be anxious and whatnot! I suppose it's hard to recognize whether I'm detached from reality or having heightened senses sometimes because of derealization and depersonalization. I question whther things are real all the time so I suppose that's why I worry about it! Thank you so much for yor response though kitt!

Hey everyone, I'm back. Things are starting to get really really bad. I mean for the first time EVER my boyfriend sort of seemed like a stranger to me just now. My panic attacks have rapidly increased and I'm questioning whether thats what this really is or not. I've been having pretty bad mood swings... I really can't take this anymore. I dunno if I'll make it till Tuesday to go back to the doctor. I keep telling myself if I'm questioning insanity that I'm not insane, but it's just not really helping things. I feel like the world is distorting and getting smaller and I keep gettin more afraid.

Nice to meet you. Sorry to hear you are having a hard time at the moment with your anxiety, I can relate to what you wrote in your post as I often question if I have other mental health disorders such as Schizophrenia and continually worry myself sick about this. Kitt gave you some great input so try and relax the best you can until you see your doctor and keep posting here as we can support you until then. Are you on any medication to help with your anxiety? I go and see a psychiatrist and find that useful and have also gone through therapy which helped me to understand why I was feeling anxious/depressed so could be something you would think of doing?. I hope things start to improve for you and keep posting to let us know how you are getting on.

Thank you Ben! Yeah I feel bad when I post when I'm panicking but it helps so much when I get to see other peoples responses. And no I'mnot on any meds right now. I visited my doctor Friday and am going back Tuesday to discuss my blood tests and then discuss what options I have from there if it be anxiety or something else. He thinks it's most likely anxiety though. I think my anxiety has heightened the past few days because I'm waiting till Tuesday to get here and it feels like an eternity and I suppose I have a fear that I'm just going to snap before I make it there. Thanks so much for your response and I'm glad to hear someone else has experienced this :)

Please do discuss a mood stablizer with your Physician besides something for the anxiety. Today is Sunday so you are less then 48 hours from seeing your Doctor. Know that you are going to be ok until your appointment and please practice deep breathing or anything to take your mind off the worrying.

I went to workout just now and I felt more anxiety during and for a few minutes afterwards. I think the only reason was because I had like 5 panic attacks last night and was very weak today. Anyways I got really dizzy and my hearing was tunneling in and out a little bit, so my anxiety went up.

Currently I'm feeling pretty relaxed and relieved from working out now that my body is cooling down. Perhaps I should try lighter workouts, but it seems weird to need to do that because I always do a decently vigorous workout every other day. Also my anxiety has done a complete 180 with its symptoms in a way. I used to oversleep and my anxiety was worse in the mornings, then better in the evening.

Now I undersleep because I'm afraid to sleep and my axiety is ridiculous at night. I also have been randomly crying because I hate having the anxiety haunting me all the time. The crying seems like it relieves stress for a while but I'm beginning to become very depressed about my anxiety and the toll its having on my life.

I am going back to the doctor tmrw so I'm going to discuss these things with him and see what he has to say, but I was hoping perhaps someone would have some input to make tonight a bit easier to relax. :] I've also had fatigue, dizziness, and am sort of disoriented. I have a fear of hallucinating too so as the world kind of seems to be spinning a bit it seems like my depth perception changes too.

I think that mainly has to do with the fact that I am just focusing TOO much on my environment, almost like I am attempting to scare myself. But I feel as if hallucinations might start occuring! I have a BIG fear of mind altering drugs/meds and whatnot and I believe it plays in a role of my fear of hallucinations which leads to my obsessive thoughts about schizophrenia.

I assume medications and or therapy is going to help me to overcome this and am actually quite optimistic about getting my life back in order. If anyone has more advice I would love to hear it :] As if all of you haven't given me a substantial amount of advice already, lol!